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For many days Keldor and Hordak had traveled through the Dunes of Doom. This was the first time that Keldor had ever set foot in the fabled dark hemisphere and he saw that the rumors of its dangers were true. On a daily basis they were attacked by numerous creatures and monsters that he had only known of through myths and scary stories that Eternian children would share with each other at school. Hordak told Keldor that they were heading towards the one place on Eternia that was worthy of being their base of command.

When they were a day’s hike from Snake Mountain, Hordak pointed it out to Keldor. It was a gigantic structure that could be seen from miles away. As they walked towards it, Hordak recounted the story of its creation.

“When I first came to Eternia many years ago, I heard tales of a past ruler named King Hiss. He was a Snakeman with genocidal tendencies and a misplaced belief in the inherent superiority of his race. A millennium before he had waged a genocidal war against the humans of Eternia. He eventually came to his end when a person who some think was named He-Ro vaporized him. I suspect that He-Ro’s source of power is the same as my eventual enemy, Grayskull, but if the stories of He-Ro’s exploits are true, the power must’ve lost some of its potency.”

Keldor then replies, “What happened to his people?”

“The Snakemen fell into chaos upon Hiss’ death. After a few hundred years of war and anarchy, a man named Tyrant became their new king. He was one of the fools who sided with King Grayskull against me during my first invasion of Eternia. I saw to it that he soon paid for his mistakes. His death led the Snakemen to once more war with the humans of Eternia. Since then the Snakemen have become much weaker than they once were. Various groups took it upon themselves to wipe them out once and for all. Today very few remain.”

Hordak then went on to say, “Snake Mountain is a marvel of engineering. Hiss reportedly used hundreds of thousands of human slaves in its construction. To build the snake that is coiled around the mountain, they first had to carve a spiraling path around the mountain. Apparently hundreds plummeted to their deaths during this time. However, that was nowhere near the amount of death and injury that was to come. Following the creation of the path, thousands upon thousands of slaves were injured and killed while carving the snake from the nearby rock quarries and then dragging it up the mountain side. It is said that the catacombs beneath the mountain are a maze made with the bones of those who died during its construction. There is also rumor of Hiss putting the 10 best craftsmen to death upon completion of the castle. He supposedly had them skinned and used their bones to build his throne. Since the death of Hiss, not a living soul has entered the mountain.”

Walking in silence for a few minutes, Keldor eventually says, “Why is it that no one has ever taken over Snake Mountain since the time of Hiss?”

“King Hiss was a powerful mage. He placed a number of charms and seals throughout the mountain to deter anyone who hoped to enter. Anyone entering the mountain is soon killed. Over the centuries, many have tried. There are apparently untold riches inside the mountain; what Hiss amassed while plundering villages throughout Eternia.”

Sitting with Keldor to eat, Hordak then continued, “When I first came to Eternia I had always meant to conquer Snake Mountain for myself, but was sidetracked by the war with Grayskull. Before I had the opportunity to conquer it, I was banished to Despondos by that fool Grayskull.”

Hordak then told Keldor that they would make camp for the night and in the morning they would head out and travel the final leg of their journey to Snake Mountain.

In the following morning, Hordak and Keldor continued their journey to Snake Mountain. Along the way they were attacked by various creatures, including Shadow Beasts, but Keldor and Hordak quickly dispatched them. Finally, they arrived at the base of Snake Mountain.

Arriving at the entrance to the mountain, Hordak told Keldor to use his magic to scan for traps. Reciting an incantation from a long dead language, Keldor and Hordak could see an ethereal green energy flowing along the walls and floors of the passageway into the mountain. Hordak told Keldor that those waves of energy were a trap left behind by Hiss. Lifting his right hand, Hordak cast a spell that neutralized the magical barriers in the hallway. Continuing on, Hordak told Keldor that they would need to be careful while journeying through Snake Mountain, because there was no way to neutralize all of the traps until reaching the throne room.

Along the way to the throne room, Hordak and Keldor saw the remains of people who had in the past attempted to enter Snake Mountain. Their bodies had long since rotted away, but the bones showed the telltale signs of powerful traps. Some were singed, others were shattered and even more disturbingly, some seemed to have been completely vaporized.

After hours of slow progress, Hordak and Keldor finally entered the throne room. Hordak then told Keldor that they would have to combine their powers to disable the traps throughout Snake Mountain. Kneeling next to each other, a red glow grew out of their bodies that grew until it filled the room and continued to grow until all of Snake Mountain was enveloped in a flowing red energy. Now the traps that Hiss had set were neutralized and Hordak and Keldor could search through the mountain at their leisure.

During their searches, they found multiple armories throughout he castle. The weapons and armor had been untouched for millennia, but they were still in excellent condition. Hordak was pleased with this, knowing that his army would be able to put them to good use. Furthermore, they found many rooms filled with treasure. Untold riches were at their grasp and Hordak knew that this would be sufficient to hire a great many warriors. However, the one room that drew Keldor the most was the throne room. While Hordak was still inspecting the armory, Keldor headed back towards the throne room. Walking up to the throne, made of ancient bones, he wiped away the thick dust and marveled at its construction. The seat of the throne was leather, likely made out of the flesh of those who constructed the Snake Mountain. The throne radiated a dark power that Keldor felt that he could almost reach out and feel. Sitting at the throne, Keldor knew that someday it would be his. The only question was when...

Bio: Kane, a young beggar and thief, never expected to amount to much in life. But one day that all changed when he came across the Dark Sword of Power, a second power sword made by King Grayskull to ensure that his inner darkness would not corrupt the future hero of Eternia. Holding the sword over his head, he shouted, “By the dark power of Grayskull, I am a God” and the powers of Grayskull transformed Kane into Thanatos, the Scourge of Eternia. Thanatos intends to be the next king of Eternia, and those who stand in his way will pay.

Powers/Appearance: Thanatos has a physique similar to that of He-Man, but differs in that his skin is grey. His head looks similar to that of the comic book character Ripclaw. He has all the strength, power and wisdom of He-Man, but is totally evil.

Long Version:
Part 1: The He-Ro Connection

Many millennia ago, there was a man who came to be known as He-Ro. He-Ro was the first to learn to harness the magical powers that would someday be better known as the magic that empowers He-Man.

He-Ro’s powers were unmatched then and now. His strength was that of He-Man, yet unlike He-Man, he had direct access to the powers. As a consequence, he was able to fully wield them as a wizard, which is something that later beneficiaries of the power wouldn’t be able to do.

He-Ro was trained by a wise old wizard named Eldor. He was the one who taught He-Ro how to wield the powers of magic.

However, He-Ro was only a man and no man can truly embody and control the full power without having to pay a price. Although He-Ro fought many battles and won, in the end he finally lost to his own weakness, being human. No human body could ever contain the full power, and years of using it withered away his once strong physique, ending in his death.

Torn apart by He-Ro’s death, Eldor swore that no other would suffer the same fate. As a consequence, he saw to it that his spirit form would live on after the death of his human body.

Many years would pass before the power would be used again.

Part 2: The King Grayskull Connection

The next to wield the power was King Grayskull. Grayskull, like He-Ro before him, had an unusual bond with the power. The spirit of Eldor strived to ensure that he would never pay the price that He-Ro had.

Eldor told Grayskull that he would have to create a conduit for the power. Something that focuses and refines it, so that his human body wouldn’t come into direct contact with it. To fulfill this goal, Eldor instructed Grayskull to build castle Grayskull, over the site where the power entered Eternia. Furthermore, as a focus for the power, Grayskull was instructed to create a power sword.

King Grayskull knew that as good a man as he was, he like all other men, had a dark side to him. He was well aware of the evil that he was capable of. He didn’t want that evil to be part of the power sword, because of how it could corrupt the wielder. As a consequence, he created two swords. One was the power sword that King Grayskull himself wielded and would eventually be wielded by He-Man. The other was a sword that embodied all the darkness and evil that was inside King Grayskull. This sword was identical to the power sword, but was black as polished obsidian.

With the help of Castle Grayskull and the power sword, King Grayskull was able to access the magical powers, but not to the extent that He-Ro had been able to. As a consequence, his only power was that of incredible strength, lacking the mystical might that He-Ro once had. Because of King Grayskull and the castle he left of the same name, the power became known as the power of Grayskull. In the future, all people who wielded the power sword would have the same powers of King Grayskull, as well as inherit his wisdom.

The black sword was hidden away, with the hope that it would never be found.

Part 3: The Anti-He-Man

Around the time of Prince Adam’s birth, another boy was born, far away from the Royal Palace. Unlike Adam, whose life was filled with joy and comfort, this boy’s life was filled with misery and despair. His mother died while giving birth and his father was an abusive drunk. When the boy was 8, his father attacked him during one of his drunken tirades, and the boy finally fought back. Grasping a nearby dagger, he ran towards his father and thrust the blade into his chest. As luck would have it, the blade buried itself deep in his father’s heart. The boy pulled out the dagger and was covered in a fountain of blood. Stepping away from his father’s writhing body, he knew that he would have to run away and never return to his home. The boy’s name was Kane.

The next few years, Kane had to fend for himself. Eternia is know for its beauty and grandeur, but few ever hear of the seedy underbelly found in cities outside of the home of the palace of Eternos. Kane spent the next few years fending for himself, avoiding the pedophiles and killers, stealing what he could to survive. As time went on, Kane grew up to be a rather small, yet tightly muscled man. He only reached a height of about 5’6 and a weight of 130 lbs, but his muscles were wiry and strong. Kane was known for his nasty temper and quickness with a dagger. Most seeing him wouldn’t have considered him a threat, but those who knew him knew that due to his temperament and total ignorance of civility knew that he was a danger to any who crossed him.

Eventually, Kane chose to leave the city and head out to lands unknown. While wandering through one of Eternia’s many large and overgrown jungles, he tripped and fell through a hole in the ground. He tumbled for a few moments, eventually hitting the hard rock ground in what appeared to be an underground cavern. No light was able to get in from the outside, so Kane felt through his bag to a can of gasoline, some clothes and a walking stick he had been using. Wrapping the rags around the stick and dousing them with gasoline, he fashioned himself a makeshift torch that he used to explore his surroundings.

Walking around the small underground room, he saw that it was completely empty, with the exception of a small altar that had a large obsidian sword placed on it. Walking towards the sword, he shone the light of the torch on the blade and he made out an engraving on the altar below it. It said, “here lies the dark power of Grayskull”. Thinking it was just some nonsense, he picked up the sword, figuring that if nothing else it could be sold at a high price. However, when he picked up the sword, he felt an energy in it, something he had never felt before. In his mind he head, “you have been chosen. Hold the sword over your head and state, ‘By the dark power of Grayskull, I am a God’”

Naturally, Kane thought he had finally lost his mind. Hearing things generally leads to trouble, but he also figured that it couldn’t hurt to try. So he held the sword over his head and shouted, “By the dark power of Grayskull, I am a God”

The cavern was shaken by thunder and lighting. When the smoke cleared, there stood Thanatos, He-Man’s first true equal.

Crawling through the hole that he fell through, Thanatos went back to the surface. He set off, leaving the few possessions of his former life behind, thinking them nothing more than trinkets that a man of his stature would never need again.

Walking a number of miles, Thanatos came to the conclusion that he was above walking like a commoner. A voice inside him said, “choose your steed”. Walking further, he saw ravenous wolf tearing at the carcass of a deer. Smiling to himself, he knew he had found a suitable animal. Pointing his sword at the wolf, a surge of power shot forth, engulfing the blood soaked creature. When the blinding lights ceased, where there was once a regular wolf, was now a large wolf-like creature, with fangs like a saber tooth tiger, wearing a harness suitable for a king.

Looking at his new steed and sword, Thanatos was happy. In Eternia, the time of light had passed, nightfall had come.

Part 4: Description of Anti-He-Man

His body has a similar size and build to He-Man. Unlike He-Man, his skin is a stony grey, similar to the skin of the Shadow Warriors of the Planet Hulk story. Actually, he looks a lot like Hiroim from the same story.

His hair is black and I think it is likely tied back in a pony tail. His eyes are black. There is no iris or sclera to be seen. Just a black orb.

His clothing I am not sure about. Likely leather based stuff. Black will be the primary color, although there might be some red and dark purple as well.

His powers and skills are precisely that of He-Man. Unlike everyone else who He-Man comes against, his strength is a perfect match for He-Man. Furthermore, there are no deus ex machina bs methods of beating him. He doesn’t have any special “secret weakness”, because neither does He-Man. However, unlike He-Man, he is willing to kill and is more than happy to do so.

An-Gar, formerly Wrath

Warlock of Raging Fury

Origin
A little over 21 years ago, Alexander’s father, Krismus, a Gar man known for his excellent skills as a blacksmith, began working for Prince Keldor, a man trying to take over Eternia. Krismus had never been happy with the Eternian nobility, feeling that the Gars were treated unfairly. With Keldor, a man whose Gar heritage was obvious, he felt that the Gars would finally be given the respect that they deserved.

Krismus faithfully made weapons for Keldor’s troops, feeling that the rebellion was just. However, over time as he saw how Keldor treated the villages that he succeeded in taking over, his faith in Keldor began to wane. Feeling that Keldor was nothing more than a tyrannical despot, Krismus chose to help the Eternian royal family instead, helping to arm their soldiers. Before Krismus could leave, Keldor learnt of his plans and ordered Beastman to capture the family.

At the time of their capture, Alexander was only 4 years old. Keldor, being a truly sadistic and sick creature, forced Alexander to watch as his father was tortured and finally killed by Beastman. What Alexander was forced to watch Skeletor’s troops do to his mother, is best left unsaid. After Alexander’s parents had been dispatched, Keldor was going to simply put Alexander to death, but Evil Lyn told Keldor that perhaps he could be put to better use. Instead of simply killing the child, why not mold him into a loyal servant of Keldor?

Alexander, his mind already warped by the demise of his parents, was further twisted and turned by Keldor (later Skeletor) and his magic. Evil Lyn raised the child, subtly torturing him and desensitizing him, turning him into the perfect weapon for Skeletor. Over the years, Alexander grew up strong and fanatically loyal to Skeletor.

From a young age, Alexander was trained in the arts of war. Triklops taught him swordsmanship, while Whiplash taught him unarmed melee combat. Beastman taught him about nature, helping him become a keen tracker and hunter. Evil Lyn and Skeletor himself taught him magic, seeing that he was a natural sorceror.

Alexander is now 25 years old and Skeletor feels it is time for Eternia’s champions to learn of his existence. He has taken on a new name, An-Gar. The darkness is here.

Personality and Appearance

Being a Gar, An-Gar’s skin is blue. He is about 5’11 and weighs 160 lbs. His body is tightly muscled and his flesh is crisscrossed with scars. Some of the scars are from the conditioning that he received at the hands of Evil Lyn and Skeletor and some of it is self inflicted with a ritualistic dagger. Alexander wears some plate mail armor, with exposed arms and stomach. The scars are plainly visible on his exposed flesh and glow brighter as he uses his hate magic. An-Gar also wears a half-mask that covers part of his face and acts as some added protection.

An-Gar is a cold and cruel man. He has little interest in conversation and prefers to be left alone. When he wants something from someone, he takes it. Needless to say, Eternian women prefer not to gain his attention.

He seldom shows emotion, yet he is filled with a cold rage. Unlike those whose anger is hot, he never loses control. It instead strengthens him, making him more precise and deadly.

He has no memory of his parents anymore. His past is blocked, partially because of the horrors he saw, partially due to the warping effects of Evil Lyn and Skeletor’s magic.

An-Gar’s facial appearance is something that has led to much debate as to the truth of his lineage. He looks much like Keldor himself once did, but no one is sure why. Some think that perhaps Keldor sired An-Gar behind Krismus’ back, while others think that perhaps Krismus was in some way distantly related to Keldor through Keldor’s Gar heritage, while others feel that perhaps Skeletor’s magic is the reason. Those who think that it is due to Skeletor’s magic feel that Skeletor has grown close to the boy views him as a possible heir, feeling that the future ruler of Eternia should share his natural features. In the end, no one knows the truth. It may simply be coincidence, but none have had the courage to ask Skeletor the truth.

Skills and Powers
An-Gar inherited Krismus’ skill as a blacksmith and works to supply Skeletor’s troops with high quality melee weapons. For himself, he has created a sword and battle axe, feeling that a shield would be unneeded for one with his skills.

He is a well trained sorceror, focusing primarily on offensive skills and a few shield spells. He doesn’t care much for entrapment magic, figuring that it is much more efficient to either kill or cripple his opponents.

An-Gar has mastered a rare and valuable form of magic that few can ever master. As his anger increases, all of his skills increase as well. His strength grows, although it will never grow to the levels of He-Man or Thanatos, it becomes high enough to be a suitable match for just about any other warrior on Eternia. His senses improve, to the point where they will match the senses of many animals, for instance his sense of smell improves to the point where he can track his prey and his vision improves to the point where he can effectively see in the dark. When using a bow he becomes much more accurate, and his swordsmanship improves to a point where it rivals Eternia’s greatest warriors. Even his magical abilities increase to the point where his offensive attacks are comparable to those of Evil Lyn or Count Marzo. Because of this magical power, his weakness is that his abilities decrease drastically when he is calmed down and his rage subsides, to the point where he simply has the skills of an exceptionally well trained, yet human warrior.

It looks like An-Gar, and as a direct result, the NV as well, is out of the runnings in the staction contest. However, the show must go on!

He-Ro

Three thousand years before the birth of Prince Adam there was a man named Gray. Gray was born into a nomadic tribe that would spend the summers in the Plains of Perpitua and the winters in the Evergreen Forest. His ancestors had prophesized that someday their tribe would produce the greatest warrior mage in history, a man who would wield a power unlike any other, but the prophecy also made cryptic references to the power coming at a great price. From a young age, many in the tribe believed that Gray may be the one that the prophecies had spoken of.

As a child Gray showed an incredible aptitude in magic, bringing him to the attention of the tribe’s most powerful mage, Eldor. Eldor taught the mystical arts to the boy and saw that the boy’s mind soaked up the mystical knowledge more quickly than any student he had ever known. By the time Gray was 15, he had learnt all that Eldor had to teach, but he was too young to have learnt true wisdom. Although Gray’s heart was good, his youth coupled with his ability had led him to be egotistical and impudent. Eldor knew that Gray felt that he was an old relic and would no longer listen to his teachings and advice, so he came up with a plan that he hoped would help Gray gain some wisdom. Eldor’s idea was to have Gray leave the tribe and go on a spiritual quest of sorts. He felt that isolation from the people he knew and the life he was used to leading would force Gray to be introspective and eventually gain some of the humility that he so desperately needed.

One cool autumn morning, Gray left his tribe. Not knowing where to go, Gray traveled north and made his way to the Mystic Mountains. Using a small blade, he found a long, hard branch and carved himself a six foot long walking stick. From a distance Gray could see that there appeared to be one mountain that was taller than any other. Feeling that it would be a challenge worthy of one of his mettle, he decided to climb it.

Getting to the foot of the mountain, Gray wrapped his robes tightly around himself and began to climb. Over a period of many days, Gray slowly made his way up the mountain, at times nearly giving up due to extreme strain and exhaustion. After 6 days of struggle, Gray made his way to the mountain’s peak. Pulling himself onto the snowcapped peak, he felt that this would be a good place to meditate.

What happened over the next three years is uncertain, as Gray never told anyone the full story. What can be ascertained is that during this time he discovered an incredibly powerful form of magic that gave him extremely powerful magical abilities, as well as an unheard of amount of strength and invincibility. Many years after Gray’s death, this power would come to be known as the Power of Grayskull.

Leaving the Mystic Mountains Gray walked towards the Evergreen Forest, knowing where his tribe would be at this time of year. As he got closer, he saw smoke billowing from the forest. A tremendous fire was tearing through the trees. Using his magical abilities, he summoned a strong rainstorm to quench the fire. Although the rainstorm put out the fire, it had a negative affect on Gray. Gray’s body was wracked with pain and he fell forward, coughing up blood.

Getting back to his feet, Gray walked into the charred forest and made his way towards his people’s campsite. As Gray walked, he saw the signs of battle. Arrows were embedded in trees, there were signs of dried blood on the ground and he could see strange reptilian corpses littering the forest floor. Arriving at his people’s campsite, he didn’t see a single person, but human bones and body parts were strewn all over the place. Horrified Gray turned around to run, but he then heard a soft moan. Walking towards the sound of the noise, he saw some movement in the underbrush. Bending down he found Eldor lying in the brush, nursing an injured arm. Eldor told him that during his absence, a new leader named King Hiss had risen. Hiss had created a gigantic army of Snakemen, and his army was cutting a swath of destruction across Eternia. They had attacked the tribe and killed every man, woman and child, with only Eldor surviving. Eldor told Gray that they ate most of the people that they attacked, showing mercy to no one. Helping Eldor to his feet, Gray knew that they had to be stopped.

Taking Eldor to the western shores of the Ocean of Gnarl, Gray constructed a boat and they set off to the Golden Isles. Eldor suspected that the Isles would still be free of Snakeman infestation and he believed that He-Ro would need help perfecting his newfound abilities. During the next few months, Eldor and Gray experimented with Gray’s new powers and they learnt that while Gray was extremely powerful, the power came at a horrific price. Using the powers did terrible damage to Gray, causing him extreme pain, aging his body quickly. Within a few months of practice, Gray had aged a decade. Eldor felt that Gray should stop using his powers, worried that his young protégé would come to an early end, but Gray insisted that his power was needed to defeat King Hiss. After a year of training, Gray returned to the main continent, on a quest to destroy King Hiss.

Learning that King Hiss had a fortress that was situated where Eternos would someday be, Gray set out to destroy his enemy. On the way Gray fought many Snakemen, but was usually able to dispatch them with his staff, without using his powers. However, when fighting some of the more powerful generals, there were times when Gray was forced to use his powers, allowing him to swiftly dispatch his opponents, but causing him untold amounts of pain.

Finally reaching the fortress, Gray saw that he was hopelessly outnumbered. He had hoped that he would be able to sneak into the fortress and confront Hiss alone, but there was no way that that could be done. He had hoped to avoid using his powers before the final battle with Hiss, but he knew that that would be impossible. Kneeling down, focusing his concentration, he summoned forth a storm of a tremendous magnitude. Rain and lighting poured into the fortress, with tornado strength winds tearing through the Snakemen. The ground started shaking and opened up, swallowing most of the troops in its gaping maw. The pain of his exertion brought him to his knees and he collapsed.

Gray wasn’t sure how long he lay on the ground, but eventually the red haze cleared and he saw a Snakeman striding towards him. This Snakeman was composed of a number of snakes, with multiple heads, writhing and hissing. From the descriptions that Gray had heard, he knew that this was King Hiss. Struggling to get to his feet, King Hiss kicked him in the ribs, rolling Gray over onto his back. Hiss lifted a spear and thrust it towards Gray’s heart, but Gray rolled away, narrowly missing the blade. Getting to his feet, Gray picked up his staff and used it to strike one of the snakes. Although that Snake was dazed by the blow, the rest continued to attack him. The battle lasted many hours, with neither combatant getting the upper hand. During this time Gray had used his blade to cut off some of King Hiss’ snakes, but it seemed that whenever one was cut off, another would grow to take its place. As the battle went on, Gray knew that his stamina couldn’t last indefinitely, feeling the fatigue wearing on him. Deciding that King Hiss needed to be destroyed, regardless of the cost to himself, Gray focused his magical abilities into one awe-inspiring bolt that instantly incinerated Hiss. Falling to the ground in unimaginable pain, Gray started to vomit blood and then passed out.

When Gray awoke, he was lying in a bed. At his side was Eldor. Eldor had followed Gray through his journeys, doing what he could to protect him from enemies that he might not see. Gray moved slightly and that movement caused him terrible pain. Looking down he saw that his hands weren’t the strong hands that he remembered, but withered and weak. Reaching up to touch his head, his hand came away with a handful of white hair. Eldor told Gray that he was a true hero and that his sacrifice had saved millions. Gray then went to sleep once more. By the following morning, Gray was dead.

Eldor was saddened by the loss of his student, but pleased that he showed true courage, even at the moment of his death. Knowing that there may come a day when another discovered the same power that Gray had, Eldor vowed to never let them pay the same price. Reciting an obscure magical incantation, Eldor stepped from the world of the physical into the world of the spiritual, waiting for Eternia’s next hero.

Gray’s legend was passed down for years. He was known as the “Hero of Eternia”, eventually having the name shortened to Hero. Over time, people forgot the man and only remembered the legend. Instead of being known as Gray, they referred to him as He-Ro. As more time passed, even the legend of He-Ro was forgotten.

For many years the people of Durendrin whispered rumors to each other about the cruel experiments that they believed Count Marzo was doing. It was believed that he abducted children and animals to perform his magical rites on. No one is sure what exactly he intended to do with them, but occasionally strange and terrifying creatures could be seen around Marzo Castle.

One night, a number of bats flew out of Marzo Castle. If a casual passerby had seen them, he would’ve thought that they were being chased by the devil, as their flight patterns were so erratic and rushed. One of those bats flew southeast from Durendrin and eventually made its way to Hale, a town 35 miles away. The bat flew through an open window into a house, making its way into the bedroom of a sleeping husband and wife. The wife was 8 and a half months pregnant. Landing near the woman, it bit her on the abdomen, then flew off into the night.

That morning the woman woke up with a terrible fever. Her husband called the local doctor to come and check on her, but the doctor could not determine the cause of her illness. Knowing that the baby could not possibly survive its mother’s sickness, they decided to perform a caesarean on her.

Soon after having removed the child, the woman’s temperature lowered and her illness quickly went away. But the child was hideous. It had grey, almost scaly skin and eyes as black as obsidian. Shortly after the child’s birth, they also noticed that it had a sensitivity to light, crying whenever it was in direct sunlight. Also, the child seemed to have an extremely acute sense of hearing. Karg had entered the world.

Adolescence and Early Adulthood

Growing up, Karg never felt comfortable among other people. His right hand was gnarled and deformed, rendering it useless. He was constantly stared at by other people, because of his strange skin as well as his shockingly white hair. Shortly before Karg’s 13th birthday, he decided to run away from home, never to see Hale again.

The next few years were spent as a beggar and thief. Karg wasn’t very physically strong, but he was extremely cunning and intelligent. Karg used his talents to help con people out of their money, rigging games and stuff so that they would lose. Karg was also a very talented thief, as he seemed to have a sort of sonar which allowed him to navigate expertly in the dark. This aided him when breaking into places in the dark of night.

Karg felt that his right hand was utterly useless and more of a bother than what it was worth. When he was 22 he found a blacksmith who agreed to forge him a hook that could be attached to his right wrist. With the hook in hand, he went to a healer and got the healer to agree to amputate his right hand and replace it with the hook.

Enter the Darkness
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When Karg was 31 he was approached by a blue skinned man who introduced himself as Keldor. The man had heard of what he referred to as Karg’s “moral flexibility” and said that he could use a man of his talents. Keldor told Karg that the day of the Royal Family was coming to an end and that soon there would be a new power in place. He then offered Karg a large sum of money to work for him as a general in his army. Karg, having no loyalty to the crown, was happy to work for Keldor. The following year the Great War started with Karg and a regiment of troops razing a town a few hundred miles west of Eternos.

Karg was a competent commander, but his plans were frequently foiled by Duncan Ardurr, a man would someday be known as Man-At-Arms. During the war, Karg served Keldor well, but his talents were not enough. In the end, Randor and his forces triumphed and Karg as well as the other dark forces were forced to retreat into the dark hemisphere.

Unlike many of Keldor’s troops, Karg much preferred the dark hemisphere. Here he didn’t have to be concerned about the light hurting his eyes and he was well adapted to life in the darkness. Karg spent much of his time honing his sonar abilities, hoping to improve his ability to move in total darkness. He also spent his time training with some of Skeletor’s finest warriors, such as Blade and Triklops, hoping to improve his once meager combat skills.

Soon the barrier will fall and Karg will once more follow his master into the light. Only time will tell what damage Karg’s machinations will cause.

Yeah good work on those new bios DL. Yes I know I should be posting stuff as well but as I said in my PM to DL just now, my internet connection has been pretty much off...annoyingly. Took a few visits from the so called "experts / engineers" to fix it.

Yeah good work on those new bios DL. Yes I know I should be posting stuff as well but as I said in my PM to DL just now, my internet connection has been pretty much off...annoyingly. Took a few visits from the so called "experts / engineers" to fix it.

Well I'm glad you're back.

We've got some big things planned for the NV and it's time to get the ball rolling.

This is the next faction that'll be part of the NV. I've always liked the idea of covert operatives who work outside the regular confines placed on them by their leaders so it seemed like a fun thing to add.

Over the next few days I'll be posting the bios for their members.

The Sentinels of Eternia

Many years ago, after King Grayskull finally banished Hordak and his forces from Eternia a group was created to ensure that Eternia would forever be protected from danger. Legend has it that Marcus, a near-immortal mage gathered together the first group of people that would become the Sentinels of Eternia. The Royal Palace and even Castle Grayskull itself were not affiliated or even aware of the Sentinels. They acted in complete secrecy, because they felt that he Royal family while being good and just, weren’t willing to go to the lengths needed to ensure that the realm remained safe. It was their opinion that the gentler methods used by the Eternian nobility to protect the realm would lead to its downfall.

This group consisted of a number of ex-soldiers, craftsmen and sorcerers who were fanatically dedicated to ensuring that the royal family would never lose its place of power. The Sentinels ever mindful of the importance of secrecy all took oaths to produce children that would be trained to eventually take their place within the order, vowing to never tell any outsiders of its existence. Never numbering more than 12 members, every generation of the Sentinels since their inception has been led by Marcus.

To ensure its secrecy, the members did not know each other’s real identities, with only Marcus knowing their true identities. When not in a time of war they meet every five years using masks to cover their identities from each other. At these meetings, Marcus gives them their next set of missions

Over the years, the Sentinels have secretly taken action across the realm, anonymously wiping out dangers wherever they arose. Shortly after King Grayskull's final battle, they traveled across the countryside, looking for signs of support for Hordak. Finding villages that supported Hordak, they reigned down utter destruction on them, wiping out every man, woman and child, leaving no evidence of their existence behind. In later times, they attempted genocide on the remaining Snakemen, considering them to be one of the greatest threats in Eternia. During the Great War, they ensured that many of the most valuable lieutenants under Keldor were killed through “uncertain” circumstances, weakening the rebellion and helping to bring about their eventual downfall. However those years were not easy on the Sentinels and many of them were killed before they could pass on their training and titles, further lowering the group's numbers.

This is the first character I created for the Sentinels of Eternia and is where I originally placed most of their history before moving it into a separate file.

The Sentinels of Eternia Present: Claudius

Claudius grew up much like other Eternian boys, hunting and fishing with his father. His father wasn’t a very talkative man, but he loved his son and was always interested in ensuring that his boy was reaching his utmost potential. During the summer months, when Claudius wasn’t in school, his father would take him traveling across the countryside, always making sure to educate his son on the local wildlife and foliage. His mother found it curious that Claudius’ father spent so much time teaching Claudius about swordsmanship and martial arts, but he would always say, “a boy needs his exercise. Besides, how can learning a little self defense hurt him?”

When Claudius was 13, his father revealed the truth to him. They were part of a long line of a group called, “The Sentinels of Eternia”. Claudius’ father had chosen to have a child so that he could pass his secret down. To keep his true purpose secret, Claudius' father had become a spice trader, a profession that would explain his need to travel frequently.

After Claudius’ father passed during the Great War, Claudius took his father’s place within the Sentinels of Eternia. Like his father before him, he married and had a child, intending for the child to continue the family tradition. Also like his father, he became a spice trader so he would be able to explain his frequent travels to his wife.

In recent times Keldor has returned as Skeletor and once more Eternia is in peril. At the last meeting, the remaining Sentinels of Eternia saw that hey had made a mistake last time. Instead of incrementally weakening their foe, by terminating key underlings as they had last time, this time a new decision had been made. Skeletor was to die, and Claudius was the man to do it.

Description/Powers:

Claudius is 5’9” and 180 lbs. His body is well muscled, but not so large that he sticks out. He is an expert in all aspects of Eternian terrain and zoology, also having an unsurpassed knowledge on all matters related to poisons and traps. Claudius is the primary assassin of the Sentinels of Eternia.

Claudius is a formidable swordsman and unarmed combatant, but he is far from masterful in such things. The Sentinels of Eternia avoid direct confrontations at all costs, thus he seldom ever needs to come near his prey. However, since it is not always possible to make an assassination look like an accident, Claudius is an excellent marksman with both crossbows and his longbow. His sword has been passed down through his family for many generations, although he doesn’t know what its origins are.

Although Claudius doesn’t know how to create magic, he is well versed in how to avoid it. He can shield himself from magic users and is near impervious to all forms of magical mind control or mind reading.

The loyal followers of TNV (and DL no doubt) have probably been wandering where I have been and why I keep coming and going. Well I am happy to announce it is not a computer fault.

As DL knows I suffer from constant chest infections which vary in degree. Recently I have had a very bad one that has meant constant trips to the GP and even a few visits to the local hospital for checks.

Luckily I have the all clear for any serious chest problems so that is good news.

So basically I just haven't had the time or the mood to do anything for a while.

For as long as Gerald knew, his family was in the business of making weapons. Eternia has always been a rough land with wild terrain and numerous dangers, so there would always be a need for arms. Gerald’s family lived in a small village named Aros, a couple hundred miles north of Eternos and his family’s prowess in weapons making was pretty well known.

Gerald wasn’t given a normal education as a child. From an early age, his father taught him as an apprentice, showing him how to forge weapons and armor. Outside of the more mundane aspects of weapons creation, his father also taught him much about alchemy, showing him how to use it to strengthen his creations. When Gerald was 13, his father revealed to him the family secret, something that he had to keep secret from even his mother. His father was part of a secretive group, a group that was determined to keep the Royal Family of Eternos in power at all costs, the Sentinels of Eternia. From the end of the first Horde invasion until the present, his family were the weapons makers for the Sentinels of Eternia. This was when Gerald’s father revealed that they never used their full alchemical skills when creating weapons for mass use. The best weapons, the weapons that were created using the full extent of their knowledge and skills, were created for the Sentinels of Eternia. But there was also another secret that explained the quality of the weapons that they created for the Sentinels of Eternia. That secret was magic.

After having learned about his family’s true purpose, Gerald would spend his summers with a man named the Immortal. Not much was known about this man, other than the fact that he apparently never aged. The Immortal was a tall and thin man, with long white hair and a long white beard. He was a fairly powerful mage and taught Gerald about how magic could be used to improve the quality of a metal, making it stronger, more resilient, more flexible, basically whatever was needed.

In time Gerald’s parents passed on and he took his father’s place as the weapons producer for the Sentinels of Eternia. Soon after his father’s death, the Great Wars began and his services were needed by the Sentinels of Eternia. This was a hard time for the Sentinels, many of them dying tragically before they could produce heirs to take their place. Being away from the battles themselves, Gerald remained safe and came out of the Great War unscathed. As was required of him, Gerald eventually started his own family and even produced his own son who would someday take his place as he had taken his father’s. Today, his son is 14 years old and he too is beginning his training with the Immortal.

With Skeletor’s invasion coming out of the dark hemisphere of Eternia, once more Gerald’s skills are needed by the Sentinels of Eternia.

Not much is known about the Falconid people. Living in the giant trees at the border of the Evergreen Forest, they seldom associate with outsiders. They feel that the affairs of the so-called “surface dwellers” are below them, both literally and figuratively. Eternian humans describe them as eagle/human cross-breeds, thanks to the large wings that grow out of their backs and their unparalleled eyesight.

Many years ago, the Falconids had no choice but to deal with humans. During the Horde’s initial invasion of Eternia, much of the forest that the Falconids called home was destroyed. Seeing that the Horde was a threat to more than just the “surface dwellers” the Falconids made a short lived alliance with King Grayskull’s forces. Once Hordak had been banished to Despondos, the Falconids once more cut off all ties with humanity and went back to their reclusive existence. However, not all beings on Eternia felt that Eternia was truly safe from evil. A small group of these beings came together to ensure that Eternia would forever be free of evil and that the Royal Family would remain in power, these people are the Sentinels of Eternia.

As regular readers know, the Sentinels of Eternia are extremely secretive about their activities. They use the same kind of heinous techniques as the villains that they fight, which is why they have chosen to hide themselves from the Royal Family of Eternos. If they were public about their actions and methodologies, they’d likely be incarcerated with the very villains that they seek to destroy. The positions in the Sentinels of Eternia are passed from father to son in every generation, even being a secret kept from the rest of the family.

The Sentinels of Eternia have always had a Falconid member. Traditionally, the Falconids play the role of scout and spy for the Sentinels. They are naturally equipped for this, because their wings allow them to fly at speeds faster than most horses can muster and their eyesight allows them to see things from tremendous distances. Furthermore, when flying at very high altitudes, the casual observer will mistake them for birds, which allows them to fly over enemy camps and gather information. Kairos was born into this role and from a very young age his father trained him as a future Sentinel. His family was known for being great thinkers and philosophers, a guise they used to explain for their frequent absences. In truth, they would be performing work for the Sentinels, but they told others that they had gone off to meditate and reflect in isolation.

As was the case with many of the other current Sentinels, Kairos took his father’s place during the Great Wars, when the Sentinels suffered great losses. Kairos had always been aloof and uncomfortable when dealing with non-Falconids, but his father’s death has also added bitterness and contempt. Among his own people, Kairos is known for being a great thinker and philosopher, as well as a dedicated father to his only child, a boy that will someday take his place within the Sentinels of Eternia.

After the Great Wars, there was a time of relative peace and tranquility. However, with the growing threat of Skeletor, Kairos has once again be called into active duty.

The Berserker has existed in one form or another for centuries. The Sentinels of Eternia exist in the shadows, protecting Eternia from threats that its citizens may not even be aware of, but the Berserker is unique among its members. Unlike the others, the Berserker is a powerhouse, one of the most powerful beings in Eternia. Although he has never come into contact with He-Man, it is believed that he has roughly eighty percent of He-Man’s strength. the Berserker gets his power from an ancient weapon known as the Axe of Shadows.

The only purpose that the Berserker serves is to wage war and destroy his opponents when all else fails and it is time for the Sentinels of Eternia to come into the light. In the two millennia of their existence, the Sentinels have never had to do this, always being able to remain safely in the shadows.

The origins of the man known as the Berserker is not known by anyone other than Marcus. It is said that there have actually been many people who had the role of the Berserker over the centuries. The Sentinels themselves have never been formally introduced to the Berserker, but they are aware of his presence, lurking in the shadows whenever they meet with Marcus.

The Berserker himself has no memory of any time before Marcus. Marcus raised him from childhood and he has never really known anyone else. The Berserker is illiterate and simple, knowing nothing but combat and killing. His only purpose is to destroy the enemies of the Sentinels of Eternia, nothing else. Lacking a name he is only spoken of in reference to his function, that of being an unstoppable berserker.

Time are rapidly changing. Skeletor has amassed a large army, the Horde has returned and there are rumors of the Snakemen having returned as well. Perhaps the time has come for the Sentinels to step into the light.

And this is the last of the Sentinels for the foreseeable future. There is one more to go, their leader Marcus, and in his story we will learn the full history of the Sentinels and their dark secret, but I have no idea when I'll get around to writing it all out.

I'm liking the whole Sentinels idea. It really adds another dimension to the MOTU mythos. I myself have been wanting to write some more stuff for the NV but just cannot find the time. Hopefully soon though. Until then, keep up the good work Darth and Wolf!!!

We're glad that you guys have been enjoying it. It's been really hard to get back into the groove since our break from writing and it's good to see that people are still reading it.

In any case we have some very big things planned. Specifically, over the next few months we'll be leaving our usual style of posting bios and instead have a triumvirate of stories that will end up changing the status quo of the NV and its characters forever.

Manfred Edward Facetts had always loved the theatre from a very young age. Growing up in a poor family where they had very little and he had to share whatever he had with his younger sister, but the theatre was an escape from reality. He would constantly re enact his favourite scenes from the plays as it allowed him to momentarily become someone else.

When he grew up he made a promise to himself to become a famous actor. So after much persuasion he finally got taken on as the apprentice to the greatest actor of his generation, Kender Gisman. Kender was not just famous for his brilliant acting skills, but also for his mind-blowing make-up work that allowed him to become anyone that he chose.

So for many years Manfred worked with Kender on the stage, at first as a comedic sidekick but later his roles grew to match his increasing acting abilities. But still Kender would not reveal the secret of his amazing transformations, not that Manfred ever pressed for more information.

Then one day Kender grew ill, the local doctors said that he was not long for the earth, a fact that scared and shocked Manfred. Kender was not just a teacher, but he was a friend and father figure to the young actor. Kender also saw Manfred as the son he never had so he decided that it was time for his young protege to finally learn his secret.

It turned out that the secret was not his brilliant use of make-up effects, but actually a magical amulet that allowed the wearer to shapeshift into what ever form they chose with enough concentration.

So with Kender dead, Manfred was the owner of the amulet and all the power that it possessed. But he lacked the training that Kender had and for a long time he was unable to make it work. Then he heard that his home town under attack by evil forces led by a skull headed sorcerer.

He raced home as fast as he could, only to find his family and friends massacred.

Fuelled by his rage the amulet finally decided to work and transformed him into a beast-like animal with super keen senses and agility (even more so than Beast-Man's). This allowed him to track down one of the attackers, a man going by the name of Tri-Klops.

In his beast form Manfred attacked but the master swordsman was too much for him. That was until the amulet began to work once again. It turned his skin as hard as metal and reshaped it to make him into living armor. This new body not only gave him a degree of invulnerability but it also vastly increased his strength and gave him knowledge of many forms of armed combat.

This metal version of Manfred was able to beat Tri-Klops but he could not kill him. Deep down inside he knew that was not what his family would want. Sensing this moment of weakness, Tri-Klops blasted him with an optic blast. This only stunned Metal Manfred but it was enough to allow the evil warrior to escape.

With more training Manfred was able to change between the three forms at will and he ultimately decided that he would use this new power to join the Masters and help fight the forces of evil.

While creating a new version of MOTU, we naturally don’t want to be tied down to only writing characters that have been created already. We want to add some fresh blood to the mix, creating something new and exciting. We’ve both created characters, before ever considering the New Vision, and many of our characters are pretty much tailor made to fit in with it.

Early on, we decided to introduce our original characters later on. We thought it was important to build a solid MOTU foundation with the established characters before introducing our own. There are also times where we’d like to use fan fiction characters created by other members. In these cases, we’ll ask the creators for permission before going ahead and either adapting their bios for our needs or mentioning the characters in other bios.

Fan Art is only used when the creator explicitly allows us to do it. In all cases where this happens, full credit is given to the artist, with an explanation that the art was created for a purpose unrelated to the New Vision.

We also accept and encourage people to create their own original characters that can be added to the New Vision. Aside from the basic rules set out early on, all we really ask is that the character does not conflict with any of the existing New Vision material out there and that the character’s powers are given explicit limitations. When it comes to the power limitations, if anyone has any doubt, we encourage them to PM one of us and we’ll let you know what we think.